Made in the US

In order to secure the production for Solmate Socks and firmly establish our commitment to being an American made product, Solmate Co-Owners, Lisa and Randy, became the new owners of the North Carolina knitting mill where Solmate Socks are made. Many of the employees there have been a part of making Solmate Socks from the very beginning and we are very proud to be working with them and promoting American jobs. We are firmly committed to keeping Solmate Socks an eco-friendly, American-made product with a focus on developing fresh designs and products to grow our business and yours.

Eco-Friendly Products & Company

All of our products are knit from the ingenious repurposing of 100% recycled cotton yarn. We collect remnants from t-shirt factories that would normally go into a landfill, grind them down to basic material and re-spin that material into our own yarn. These recycled yarns are certified by the Global Recycling Standard and Oeko-Tex. Certification requires that our materials are free from harmful substances, made with respect for the environment and respect for human rights. Using recycled yarns means that Solmate Socks decreases the amount of cotton waste sent to landfills. Our yarns also reduce the amount of water, land, pesticides and herbicides used to grow new cotton fibers as well as eliminates the need for harmful chemicals to dye virgin cotton yarn.

Carbon Offsets for Shipping

We also offer carbon offsets for purchase on all shipping. At the end of each year, Solmate Socks matches every carbon offset purchase dollar for dollar, using the grand total to purchase offsets via Native Energy. Native Energy is a Vermont-based organization that helps promote renewable energy, methane abatement and fuel efficiency projects around the globe. Since 2011, Solmate Socks’ donations have gone to help fund:

Noblehurst Dairy Farm (Methane capture)

Northeast Farm Separation Project (Manure and composting)

Ghana Clean Water project (Installation and training in the use of biosand water filters for households in Ghana)

Oka Trees of Hope - Canada (Reforestation of degraded land near the national park; all apples from planted trees donated to Montreal food banks)

We are, and always have been, committed to protecting the environment, our employees and the community in which we serve.

Zero-Waste Philosophy

Determined to do our part as an eco-friendly company, we adhere to a “zero-waste” policy, meaning we ensure that no material in production goes unused! Being that almost any type of production can create some waste, we challenge ourselves to continually find creative and useful ways to reuse these leftover materials or scraps. Below are some of the innovative ways we have been able to utilize this surplus leaving zero waste for our planet. In the past 12 months, we've diverted over 6,000 pounds of scraps from landfills by opting instead to find a good use for them, such as utilizing these scraps for new products and supplying weavers, schools and artisans with fantastic materials for beautiful projects. Read all about these tactics below!

Contribution for a Cause: Endless Possibilities

Endless Possibilities is an organization in North Carolina where volunteer and student weavers specialize in hand-woven creations made from donated or castoff fabrics. All proceeds aid domestic and sexual violence survivor services and programs. Knowing that our unused scraps could become so much more than landfill materials, we donated them to this amazing organization in support of all of the great work they were doing. We never could have imagined the artistic beauty that they would transform these leftovers into.

No Scraps Left Behind

In 2008, we began utilizing leftover socks to make our cotton “Thinking Caps.” By collaborating with local sewing artists who cut and sewed together these extra socks, we were able to produce about 4,000 hats in one year! In 2014, we partnered with Portland Garment Factory to utilize unsellable socks that had quality issues to produce cup cozies and boot cuff accessories. Producing these new products not only allowed us to salvage the beauty of whimsical socks by turning them into something amazing, but also compelled us to continually find creative ways to remain a zero-waste company.

Collaboration with Sock Animal Innovation

The ever-so-talented artist, Suzanne Moulton, handmakes these adorable and oh-so-precious sock animals utilizing unsellable Solmate Socks. These sock toys are inspired by real life endangered species and Suzanne’s mission to not only educate children about them and their importance, but also to promote the conservation of these beautiful creatures. To learn more about these charming toys and snag one for yourself, please visit Suzanne's Etsy Shop.

Turning Waste into Works of Art

Our very own Sarah H. hand-crafted these beautiful placemats, coasters and other creations from sock yarn scraps here in our Portland, OR office. One of our amazing team members inherited a beautiful jack floor loom with a high castle from a family member and loaned it to Solmate Socks for creative projects. Using the jack floor loom, Sarah constructed these amazing works of art using production scraps from accessories to not only reinforce how important it is to recycle, but also to show how fun and innovative it can be!

Recycling Through The Last Drop

As we truly believe that every little bit counts when it comes to recycling, we ensure that no scraps - even the tiniest pieces! - go unused. That's why we partner with Portland Garment Factory to recycle the scraps that are too small for crafting through GemText Recycling. GemText is a Northwest-based sustainability company that is passionate about helping people recycle their textiles and keep them out of landfills. Textiles take up nearly 8% of our country’s landfills and almost all of them take hundreds of years to de-compose! They actually take up more space in our landfill than any other non-durable goods in the solid waste system. This is why GemText accepts donated clothing, shoes, purses, belts and household linens, and then finds appropriate uses for the donated items. Nearly 98% of what is donated is usable! They utilize even the tiniest textile particles to pulverize for use in making things like stuffing for dog beds, insulation padding and more. We're so proud to partner with such amazing companies in an effort to continually remain a zero-waste company.